Electric switch for high potentials.



PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. G. WRIGHT. ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR HIGH POTENTIALS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1903.

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PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. a. WRIGHT. S ELECTRIC SWITCH: FOR HIGH POTENTIALS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1903.-

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v U ITED STATES Patented June '7', 1 904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT WRIGHT, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO STANLEY ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELE T-mc SWITCHHFOR HIGH POTENTIALS.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters l atent No; 761,743, dated. J une- 7, 1904.

I Application filed September 1903" Serial No. 174,45 (No model.)

' To all whom, it may concern:

. preventing satisfactory electrical when theswitch 1s. again closed. This latter .pomt 1s of great importance 1n switches. of

Be it known that I, GILBERT WRIGHT, aciti zen of the United. States,.and a resident of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches for High Potentials,of which the following-is a specification.

My invention relates to switchesfor interrupting electric circuits carrying electric curvrents of high potentials. Upon the interruption of such circuits serious arcing is pro.

duced, especially-if the .amount of current is great in addition to the potential beinghigh. It has been found that by breaking the circuit in oil the arcing is reduced, since the oil closes the gap and extinguishes the are; but evenwith the usev of oil serious arcing takes place when'the potential is very high, and this arcing results in burning the contacts and not only reducing the life of the switch, but contact high-current capacity, since poor contactnot only means a loss of power, but also heating and further deterioration of the switch.

The object of my invention is to provide such a construction of'switch adapted for interrupting heavy currents that the life andefliciency of the switch shall not be reduced by whatever arcing may take place.

Another object of my invention is to so arrange .the operating mechanism that it will be impossible for the operator to jam the switchcontacts, and thus injure them.

'A further object is to provide means for operating the switch which shall enable large .movement of rod E. gitudinal movement by means of the bellcrank lever {e and rod Rod F in Fig. 2 is ed to contain insulating-oil and mounted on the insulating-framework B.

C C are switch-contacts mounted within tankA and immersed in oil.

D is, a switch member adapted to engage contacts C C. Switch D is supported on rod (Z, which may be rotated by the longitudinal Rod E is given its lonshown broken at its ends, since a number of switches may be operated by a continuation of thisrod, the mechanism for each switch being a mere duplicationof what has already been described. Rod F is given its longitudinal movement by crank f, which, is supported onv rod Gr. Rod Gr carries a quickpitch screw-thread (shownin Fig. 5) and a nut H, adapted to move up and down onthis thread. As nut-H is moved up and down rod G is given a rotary motion. Nut H is reciprocated by means of lever I, and handle J. It

will be seen that lever I and handle J form a toggle joint, which is inthe position for maximum effort when nut His at its highest point. This position of nut H corresponds to the closed position of the switch.- Thus while nut H is moving on the upper partof its travel, which is the position of greatest frictionof the switch member on its contact, handle J is in the most favorable position forexerting the necessary force. K is a, catch adapted to engage the hand] J when it is in its closed position. This catch serves to hold handle J in the closed'position and also to prevent the operator from jamming his fingers by throwing the handle too far. It will be noticed, however, that if handle J should be thrown in so quickly as not to be engaged by catch K the switch-contacts cannot be jammed, since the position of handle J in which it should be engaged by' catch K (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4) corresponds to the maximum upward position of nut H. The toggle-joint formed by lever I and handle J is opened to its widest extent at this point, and any further movement inward of handle J will carry the toggle-joint past its central position and will reverse the direction of travel of nut H. Thus by this arrangement all danger of injury to the contacts from jamming is eliminated.

The construction of the switch member is shown in Fig. 3. The reciprocating member D carries a pivoted member L on pivot Z. This member carries the contact M, adapted to engage stationary contact C, and is normally held pressed against contact C by spring N. O is a flexible connection joining member L electrically to switch member I). From the drawings it will be seen that both movable contact M and stationary contact C have flat surfaces adapted to engage each other when the switch is closed and also have extensions at an angle to the flat surfaces. On opening the switch, as the flat part of M 20 leaves the fiat part of C the oblique extension of M slips along the oblique extension of C until the position shown in the dotted lines is reached. At this position the break takes place and the arc occurs between the oblique extensions or heels of contacts M and 0. Thus whatever burning occurs takes place on these extensions or heels and in no way damages the flat contact-surfaces. Thus the electrical contact is in no way damaged by whatever arcing is unavoidable. In order to prevent any leakage from the switch member to its contacts through the oil when the oil becomes carbonized or charred, I provide on the top of the switch-tank an air-brake switch P, which is opened or closed by the ropes '2' 1''. Thus after the main switch has been opened the auxiliary air-switch may be also opened, preventing any possible leakage and also removing the line-potential from the switch, so that it may be inspected or repaired.

It is obvious that my invention as above described is made up of a number of features which, while I prefer to use them together. may with advantage be used separately and which I desire to cover by this patent whether used together or not. 1 do not, therefore, desire to limit myself to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts here shown, since changes therein which do not depart from the spirit of my invention and which are within the scope of the appended claims will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. In an electric switch, a movable switch member, contacts pivoted thereon, stationary contacts, both sets of contacts having flat bearing-surfaces and extensions inclined thereto, and means for pressing said fiat surfaces together when the switch is closed and for bringing said inclined extensions into contact as the switch is being opened.

2. In an electric switch, a movable switch member, a contact pivoted on said member and having a flat bearing-surface and an extension inclined thereto, a stationary contact having a flat bearing-surface and an extension inclined thereto, and aspring adapted topress said flat surfaces together when the switch is closed and to bring said inclined extensions together as the switch is being opened.

3. In an electric switch, stationary contacts, a movable switch member, contacts pivoted on said member and each having a flat bearingsurface and an extension inclined thereto, and a spring coacting with said pivoted contacts to force their flat surfaces into engagement with said stationary contacts when the switch is closed and to force their extensions into engagement with said stationary contacts as said switch is being opened.

4. In an electric switch, stationary contacts each havinga flat bearing-surface and an exten sion inclined thereto, a pivoted switch member, and spring-actuated contacts pivoted on said member and adapted to engage said stationary contacts at said flat surfaces when the switch is closed and at said extensions as the switch is being opened.

5. In an electricswitch,arod havingaquiekpitch thread and nut, a toggle-joint adapted to reciprocate said nut, and a switch member adapted to be actuated by the rotation ol said rod.

6. In an electric s\vitch,a rod having a q uickpitch thread and nut, a toggle-joint adapted to reciprocate said nut, and a switch member adapted to be actuated by the rotation of said rod and to reach its closed position when said toggle-joint is on its dead-center.

'7. In an electricswitch,a rod havinga quickpitch thread and nut, a lever engaging said nut, a pivoted handle engaging said lever, said lever and handle being arranged to form a loggle-joint, and a switch member adapted to be actuatcdby the rotation of said rod.

Signed at Pittslield, Massachusetts, this 18th day of September, 1903.

GILBERT WRIG l H.

WVitnesses: I

L. A. HAWKINS, R. E. HAYNns. 

